bertram



March 17, 1964 J. J.'BERTRAM RELEAS ABLE LOCKING CONNECTOR 2 Sheeias-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1962 INVENTOR. Joseph JBerfra/n B ATTORNEY March 17, 1964 Filed June 4, 1962 J. J. BERTRAM RELEASABLE LOCKING CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTOR/YEY United States Patent 3,125,396 RELEASABLE LOQKENG CONNECTOR Joseph J. Bertram, Nor-walk, Conn, assignor to Burndy Gorporation, a corporation of New York File-d June 4, i962, Ser. No. 199,826 4 Claims. (Cl. 339217) My invention rel-ates to a self-locking connector adapted to be supported on and locked into a circuit connecting panel, and more particularly to a connector of this type that may be readily released from its supporting panel without the use of special tools or other external devices.

Hitherto, such a connector comrnonly required that a part forming its construction be always exposed outside its supporting panel to permit manual manipulation, for releasing the connector from the panel. Otherwise, it was necessary to insert a special tool into the panel to release the connector lock.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a connector which will automatically look when the connector is completely inserted into its seated position and which can be released therefrom without tools.

Another object is to provide a self-locking connector with a seamless sleeve for engaging the insulating panel to permit passing applicable tests devised to establish reliability.

Another object is to provide such a connector which can be manufactured either as a pin connector, or as a socket connector.

Other objects are to provide a simple connector release which is actuated by pushing the attached wire; to provide means for permitting the connector parts to be removed as a unit after the connector is released from the panel; to provide means which will prevent accidental release of the connector after the self locking action has taken place; to provide a wiping action between mating connectors to insure good contact and to provide a construe tion in which the contacts are directly formed from the wire attaching barrel for maximum conductivity.

These and other objects and features of my invention will be more readily apparent when taken in conjunction with the accompanying specification and in light of the following drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal top sectional View through a socket type connector locked to a supporting panel;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view, showing the self-locking means released to permit removal;

FIGURE 3 is a partial top sectional view of a connector in accordance with FIGURE 1, showing a modification forming a pin type connector.

FIGURE 4 is a partially sectioned, longitudinal side view of the socket type connector in locked-in position as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a similar view showing the release-locking means locked in released position for removal from the panel.

FIGURE 6 is a partial side sectional view of the pin type connector shown in FIGURE 3.

The connector of my invention may be of the pin or socket type as is shown in FIGURES 1 and 3. The invention as illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2, 4 and 5 is a two part socket connector including an outer sleeve 10 having preferably a pair of lock openings :12 and a pair of sleeve "ice release catches or openings 14. One end of the solid sleeve 10 is provided with a peripheral flange M to engage the panel 18 at a selected point, for example at the shoulder 2t formed by the panel bore constriction 22 which positions sleeve ill.

The remainder of the connector comprises the inner pin receiving socket body 24- which is slidable within the outer sleeve Iii. One end of the inner body is slotted to form four spring fingers, two of which, for example, fingers 26 are provided with spring detents 28, and two of which, for example fingers 3t), form conventional springy wiping contacts which are provided with latching etents 31. Although four fingers are shown, a minimum of two, or any greater number, may be used. The four fingers are integral with and extend inwardly from the socket opening 32 about which is formed a flange 34 which acts as a stop for the socket 224 against the end 35 of the sleeve lit. The flange remote end of each of the fingers is unattached, in order to permit flexure of the fingers for locking and releasing operations.

The spring detents 2-8 include a tapering cam surfiace 36- which may ride on the tapered shoulder 37 of the outer sleeve lit to depress the detents and open the lock. The detent when free engages the outer shoulder 33 of the restricted opening 22 of the panel to lock the parts together. As shown in FIGURE 5, the fingers 36 each terminate in a latch 31 which engages the release catch 14 when the inner connector body 24 is axially moved in sleeve 10 to unlock the detent 28. The latch will thus permit the entire connector to be withdrawn as a unit when unlocked from the panel.

The inner body 24- is shaped beyond the fingers into a tubular extension 4%, slotted at 42 to permit a springy circumferential compression. Two frictional projections 44 may be oppositely positioned on the tubular portion and are located outside the flange 16 of the outer sleeve 10. These otter substantial frictional resistance to motion of the innerbody within the outer sleeve and constitute part of a guard to prevent unintentional relative motion of the two.

The inner body terminates in a wire receiving ferrule 46 for receiving a bared wire or cable. A stop 43 is positioned between the ferrule and the tubular extension to prevent the wire from entering the socket contact area. The ferrule may be provided with an enlarged shroud 50 for compression about the insulation of the wire or cable. The wires extend out of the panel opening 52 which corresponds to the connector opening 54- housing the connector. The entire length of the inner body and outer sleeve, may for safety reasons be contained entirely in the panel and between the outer surfaces 56 and 58 of the panel 18.

The connection is secured to the hated wire by crimping the ferrule or by some other conventional method. The connector is then inserted into the opening 52 of the panel and into restricted opening 22 until the shoulder 25) engages the cam 36 depressing the detent 28 in restricted opening 22 until the spring detent passes into bore 54. This will enable the detent to spring back into position behind shoulder 38 locking the connector to the panel. The projections 44 will hold against the sleeve It) preventing unintentional movement beyond the locking point.

When it is desired to release the connection from the panel, the connector or connected wire is pushed until the resistance of the frictional projections is overcome and they enter within the inner surface of sleeve 16. Further axial movement into the panel opening causes the camming surface 36 to engage surface 3'7 of sleeve 16 alongside lock opening 12, and depress the spring detent 25 within the sleeve. Following this releasing motion axial movement of the connector continues until the auxiliary latch 31 snaps into release catch 14- locking the socket 24 to the sleeve to, as shown in FIGURE 5. At this point, the connector or wire is pulled instead of pushed, and the inner socket body and outer sleeve may be Withdrawn as a unit from the panel. Before re-insertion of the connector into the panel, the auxiliary latch is manually unlocked by any means inserted through openings 1 to simultaneously depress fingers 30 while inner body 24 is moved within sleeve lti.

When a mating pin connector, such as is shown in FIGURE 3, is inserted into the socket connector, the fingers 2-6 are prevented from release of the detent. Thus, the socket connector can only be released from the panel when the mating pin connector is withdrawn. The force necessary to overcome the frictional resistance of projections 44 to motion within sleeve It) is made greater than the axial pull required to separate a pin from a mating socket in order to prevent unintentional release of the detents 28 of the connector during separation.

In the described connector construction, all the metal parts of the connection may be hidden within the panel. While the inner socket body may be made of sheet metal, the outer sleeve is preferably made from tubular stock to enable certain test specifications to be successfully met. The release of the connector is obtained without the use of tools. This makes possible quick changes in the electrical connections for replacements or repositioning.

In FIGURES 3 and 6 a pin t"pe connector 60 is illustrated. This is formed on the inner body 24a which is otherwise similar to part 24 of FIGURES l, 2, 4 and 5. The outer sleeve Ilia is locked to the panel 18a in the manner shown in FIGURE 1.

The connector may be accommodated to panels of different types by exchanging the outer sleeve for one of correct size.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire that it be understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being morely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention; therefore I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appendent claims, and by means of which objects of my invention are obtained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that may be employed to obtain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

1. A connector for mounting in an insulating housing having a connector receiving bore including a bore constriction forming two axially opposed shoulders therein, comprising:

a substantially tubular conductive body member adapted to be inserted into said bore; means engaging said body member and one of said shoulders to limit insertion of said member into said bore; resilient locking means on said body member engaging the other of said shoulders to secure said body member against withdrawal from said bore; unlocking means to unlock said resilient locking means to release said connector from said bore, operable by further insertion of said tubular body into said bore; and auxiliary locking means on said tubular body to automatically lock said resilient locking means in un- :1 locked position, whereby said connector may be withdrawn from said bore. 2. A connector assembly for mounting in a dielectric housing having a connector assembly receiving bore in- 5 cluding a constriction forming two axially opposed shouldcrs therein, comprising:

a first substantially tubular body member adapted to be inserted into said bore; a second substantially tubular body member slidably disposed within said first member; means on said first member engaging one of said shoulders to limit insertion of said member into said bore; resilient locking means on said second member engaging the other of said shoulders for ecuring said second member against Withdrawal from said bore; means for resisting relative motion of said second member within said first member in the direction of insertion, beyond a given point; means for unlocking said resilient locking means to release said connector from said bore, operable by inserting said second member into said first member beyond said given point; and auxiliary locking means to fixedly retain said resilient locking means in unlocked position.

3. An electrical connector for mounting in a housing 25 having a connector receiving bore including first and second axially spaced apart shoulders therein, comprising:

a substantially tubular sleeve adapted to be inserted into said bore; an outwardly extending peripheral flange at one end of said sleeve for engaging said first shoulder to limit insertion of said sleeve into said bore; a substantially tubular conductive member adapted to be inserted through said sleeve; a compressible radial projection on said conductive member for frictionally resisting insertion of said conductive member into said sleeve beyond a given point; resilient locking means extending radially from said conductive member for engaging said second shoulder to lock said member against withdrawal from said bore; means for radially deflecting said resilient locking means into the interior of said sleeve to unlock said locking means, operable by further inser tion of said conductive member into said sleeve beyond said given point; and auxiliary locking means to lock said conductive member within said sleeve beyond said given point, whereby said member and said sleeve may be withdrawn from said bore as a unit.

4. An electrical connector contact element for mounting in a housing having a contact element receiving bore 50 including first and second axially spaced apart shoulders,

comprising:

a substantially tubular sleeve adapted to be inserted into said bore in a given direction; an outwardly extending peripheral flange at one end of said sleeve for engaging said first shoulder to limit insertion of said sleeve into said bore, said sleeve axially extending Within said bore beyond said second shoulder; an opening in the wall of said sleeve proximate said second shoulder; a substantially tubular conductive contact element adapted to be coaxially inserted into said sleeve in said given direction; a first resilient finger portion formed in the wall of said contact element having one end attached to said contact and one end free for radial flexure; a locking detent formed on said first resilient finger free end, adapted to project outwardly through said sleeve wall opening and to engage said second shoulder, for locking said contact element against withdrawal from said bore; a camming surface on said finger for deflecting said detent inwardly through said sleeve wall opening to unlock said contact element when said element is moved within said sleeve to a further inserted position; a second resilient finger formed in the wall of said contact element, having an attached end and a free end; a discontinuity formed on said second References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Erickson Aug. 23, 1910 Grill Oct. 3, 1950 Bachman Dec. 17, 1957 Owens Sept. 8, 1959 Wilgus May 16, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS France Mar. 20, '1961 

1. A CONNECTOR FOR MOUNTING IN AN INSULATING HOUSING HAVING A CONNECTOR RECEIVING BORE INCLUDING A BORE CONSTRICTION FORMING TWO AXIALLY OPPOSED SHOULDERS THEREIN, COMPRISING: A SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR CONDUCTIVE BODY MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED INTO SAID BORE; MEANS ENGAGING SAID BODY MEMBER AND ONE OF SAID SHOULDERS TO LIMIT INSERTION OF SAID MEMBER INTO SAID BORE; RESILIENT LOCKING MEANS ON SAID BODY MEMBER ENGAGING THE OTHER OF SAID SHOULDERS TO SECURE SAID BODY MEMBER AGAINST WITHDRAWAL FROM SAID BORE; UNLOCKING MEANS TO UNLOCK SAID RESILIENT LOCKING MEANS TO RELEASE SAID CONNECTOR FROM SAID BORE, OPERABLE BY FURTHER INSERTION OF SAID TUBULAR BODY INTO SAID BORE; AND AUXILIARY LOCKING MEANS ON SAID TUBULAR BODY TO AUTOMATICALLY LOCK SAID RESILIENT LOCKING MEANS IN UNLOCKED POSITION, WHEREBY SAID CONNECTOR MAY BE WITHDRAWN FROM SAID BORE. 